The U.S. government will invest $240 million in salmon and steelhead hatcheries across the Pacific Northwest to address declining fish populations and support Native American tribes’ treaty-protected fishing rights, officials announced Thursday.
The Departments of Commerce and the Interior will allocate an initial $54 million for hatchery maintenance and modernization to 27 tribes in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska. Jennifer Quan, regional administrator for NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region, emphasized the importance of these hatcheries for tribal communities, stating, “We are talking about food for the tribes and supporting their culture and their spirituality.” Some hatcheries are nearing failure, with deferred maintenance costs exceeding $1 billion. For example, the Makah Tribe’s Stony Creek facility has a roof covered by a tarp, and the Lummi Nation’s Skookum Hatchery, crucial for raising spring Chinook salmon, is in disrepair, Quan noted. Lisa Wilson, secretary of the Lummi Indian Business Council, highlighted the critical role of salmon in tribal life. “Salmon are as important as the air we breathe, our health, and our way of life,” she said. “If it weren’t for the hatcheries and the Tribes, nobody would be fishing.”
Historically, the Columbia River Basin was a premier salmon-producing region, but it has faced severe declines, with four out of sixteen salmon and steelhead stocks now extinct and seven listed under the Endangered Species Act. The ecosystem’s balance is threatened, with killer whales depending on Chinook salmon for survival. Dams in the Columbia Basin have contributed to the decline by blocking upstream habitats, slowing water flow, and increasing temperatures that harm fish. Despite decades of hatchery programs intended to bolster fish populations, studies reveal that hatcheries often negatively impact wild fish through reduced genetic diversity and increased competition. Quan acknowledged the risks associated with hatcheries but emphasized ongoing improvements. “We are in a different place now,” she said, referring to recent advancements in genetic management and scientific principles. However, she stressed that habitat restoration, improved water quality, and other measures are also crucial for salmon recovery.
Greg Ruggerone, a salmon research scientist, underscored the need for effective management of hatchery salmon harvests to protect wild fish. “A big purpose of the hatcheries in the Pacific Northwest is to provide for harvest—especially for the tribes,” Ruggerone said.
Becky Johnson, production division director for the Nez Perce Tribe’s Department of Fisheries Resource Management, added that every hatchery in the Columbia River basin was built to mitigate the impacts of hydropower dams.
Source: NATIVE AMERICANS
